Anna Silverton

Personal statement:

Everything I make is wheel-thrown in porcelain as a unique piece. Recurring themes in my work involve contrast between intuitive playfulness and precision, subverting classic and contemporary. My vases and bowls refer to subliminal past and future; history and potential are brought together through common processes. I explore the capacities and limits of porcelain and the alchemical material possibilities of glaze. Due to its unique qualities, there is a balancing act when I experiment with shapes in porcelain, between control and risk. Any improvisation carries jeopardy, always worthwhile when making meaningful discoveries.

I relish the tension created by extending and constraining soft porcelain as I work on the potter's wheel, the focus at this stage is on silhouette. The surface of each piece is turned on the wheel and finished with diamond pads to ensure unblemished smoothness. My current work also incorporates colourful and layered glazes, these also distance any historic allusions. Tactile surfaces are punctuated with meticulous unglazed details at the rim and base, revealing and highlighting the purity of the porcelain. Each piece is unique but there is cadence and harmony when they are placed in groups.